Dan Quinn lauds Commanders’ ‘sled dogs’

It was a banner day for the Washington Commanders’ veteran leaders as they led the way in snapping a three-game losing streak with a dominant win over the Tennessee Titans.

Tight end Zach Ertz caught his 50th career touchdown. Linebacker Bobby Wagner became the second player in NFL history to record 13 consecutive 100-tackle seasons. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin set a new career high with his eighth and ninth touchdown catches of the season. 

The Commanders had relied on those elder statesmen throughout practice in the lead-up to Sunday’s 42-19 victory over the Tennessee Titans. 

“I love that the sled dogs led the way,” coach Dan Quinn said, citing the leadership of Wagner, Ertz and McLaurin. “That’s what you want when you’re going through challenging times: the lead sled dogs out in front.”

It started with Wagner, the 34-year-old who lets his play do most of the talking. Despite his wealth of experience, the 10-time All-Pro is typically reserved in the locker room. He’ll joke around with his teammates, especially rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, but he isn’t one for fiery speeches. 

That changed last week. Wagner addressed the team, telling them to trust their gut and their instincts. They’d need to buckle down in order to stop the losing streak, he said. 

Wagner had been in a situation like this before during a losing skid with the Seattle Seahawks. His teammates, the linebacker worried, had stopped having fun. He wasn’t going to let that happen with the Commanders.

“I just put a message from my heart and tried to deliver it in the best way possible,” Wagner said. “It was really simple.”

But Quinn said his defensive leader lit a fire under his squad in an intense week of practice, though Wagner attributed any extra ferocity to the colder weather. 

“He was the one that set this week off and set it in motion,” Quinn said. “It’s been a challenging few weeks, and to not have the urgency that we needed last week — I saw it in abundance today.”  

When Wagner and Ertz talk, their teammates say they listen — the players in the locker room don’t want to let down their leaders. 

“It’s very valuable to have those guys that have different experiences, Super Bowl champions, guys that have been through it and still perform at the highest level,” Daniels said. “Having those guys in the locker room and being able to lean on them just for advice and keep playing.”

But Sunday’s performance showed that those locker room leaders still have some gas left in the tank. With another five tackles, Wagner ranks near the top of the league with 104 on the season. Ertz walked away with a game ball after adding three catches for 35 yards, including his fourth touchdown of the year. 

To Wagner, his simple message was his way of returning a career of favors. Wagner joined former Washington linebacker London Fletcher this week as the only two players to record more than 12-straight seasons with 100 tackles. 

The Commanders’ current linebacker said he cold-called his predecessor 10 years ago to pick his brain. His out-of-the-blue message was met with an in-depth phone conversation that Wagner still remembers. He isn’t one for stats, but joining Fletcher in the record books is unique. 

“It means something different, being able to put this jersey on and look across and see him,” Wagner said, nodding at Fletcher, who was working as a broadcaster on the other side of the locker room. “It’s really cool.”